Cap for fill pipes



Au 15, 1939. H. P. WILKING CAP FOR FILL PIPES Filed Sept. 24, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN T OR 9- H. P. WILKING 2,169,312

cA FORFILL' PIPES Filed Sept. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Shet 2 11&

I; w H105 j INVENTOR Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED. STATES i ATENTOFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a filling cap for gasoline tanks located belowthe ground as is common in filling stations, the cap being used forrefilling the tank from tank wagons or cars, and

5 has for its object to provide a cap which will readily disclosewhether or not it has been tam- Dered with.

Experience has shown there is danger of theft of gasoline from thestorage tank, especially at 10 night when the filling station is closed,by means of the cap on the supply tank being removed and a suction pipeplaced down in the tank through the filling pipe. Suggestions have beenmade for locking the cap but such have often involved l5 constructionswhich are bulky and rise too high above the ground, getting in the wayof vehicles. Without a lock to reveal the fact that the device has beentampered with, the local law enforcement oflicer or ofiicers maydiscount the loss in 20 gasoline as having been due to a leak in thetank.

According to this invention, a lock is provided which does not cause anyextension to rise an objectionable amount above the ground, and whichoffers a minimum danger of melting snow 25- or ice getting into thegasoline tank. Specifically,

the cap threaded on the upper portion of the filling pipe, has anintegral extension rising above the top of the cap body and to which ispivoted a securing member for movement in a vertical 30, plane to beraised from or lowered over said cap. There is also provided somelocking means for holding the securing member down to prevent removal ofa plug which is threaded into the cap.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan 5 view of one embodimentof this invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of another embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of a further embodi- 40 ment of thisinvention.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the usual filling pipe l extends from the gasolinestorage tank to adjacent the level of the ground, and is provided on topwith a cap I I secured to the pipe Ill by the screw threads l3illustrated, The cap ll is internally threaded at M for reception of aclosure or plug [2. A projection IS on the cap extends above the top ofthe cap on one side, being provided with a 50 pintle Hi, to which ispivoted a securing member l1 adapted to be swung in a vertical plane.Within the securing member I! is a recess l8 shaped as illustrated forcooperation with a projection IS on the plug i2. A recess 28 is placedin the 55 projection l9 at such a height that a padlock may be passedthrough this recess when the securing member I I is lowered over theprojection IS, with the result that said securing member ll can be heldagainst being raised. The shape of the projection and recess is suchthat the plug l2 5 cannot be rotated while the securing member extendsover its projection. The mouldable or cementitious material 2!, such asthe usual concrete sets around the cap I I and prevents the cap frombeing unscrewed from the pipe l0. Around 10 the peripheral top. portionof the plug I2 is a flange illustrated beneath which may be placedsuitable packing 22, to prevent melted snow or ice from getting to thescrew threads I4 and leaking into the tank. Instead of the usualcompressible packing, a substantially non-compressible material likeordinary cup grease has been found satisfactory, since it is adapted toflow or to be squeezed out when the plug is screwed down a half turn ormore than is necessary to have the top of the plug substantially flushwith the top of the cap.

In Fig. 3 the cap Ila is internallythreaded as before to receive theplug 12a. The hinged support I5a for the securing member Ila may be heldin position by the plate 23 which is held in position by means of aplurality of headed securing means 24 passing into the concrete Zia. Asbefore, the securing member Ila is provided with a recess l8a fittingover a projection I911 on the plug l2a. Packing 22a of the same type ashas previously been mentioned is used. Since in Fig.

3 the cap ll does not have any integral projections, ribs 25 may beintegrally formed on the outside of the cap Ila.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 a second projection 28 isformed integrally on the cap llb substantially diametrically opposite tothe projection I517. The securing member llb is hinged at 5b in theprojection I51) and is provided with the necessary recess I8b fittingover the second projection 28 so that a padlock shown in dotted linesmay be passed through the recess 26 in the projection 28 for holding thesecuring member down over the plug or closure l2b. Spanner holes 21 inthe top of the plug [21) provide a suitable means for applying a wrenchto open or unscrew this plug [2b.

Under the peripheral flange of the plug in each embodiment illustratedmay be used packing of any desired type, but preferably owing to thepossibility that the securing member might be placed over the projectionon the plug and rotated a half turn or more than was desired to bringthe top of the plug and top of the cap substantially flush, some type ofpacking capable of flowing, is preferred. For this purpose ordinarygrease of a convenient viscosity has been found appropriate. Wheneverthe plug is taken out it will only be necessary to apply the grease tothe screw threads of the plug and then as the plug is screwed home thegrease can flow into the packing space 221) illustrated.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the provision ofribs on the outside of the cap constituted by the integral projection orprojections for cooperation with the securing member. The padlock, iftampered with, will readily show such to be the fact. The cap and plugdo not extend an objectionable amount above the top of the concrete, yetthe filling opening is protected against theft and the entry of waterinto the supply tank. The construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 isthe preferred embodiment of this invention, while that shown in Fig. 3is the least desirable of the several forms shown.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pipe leading to a subsurface tank, of a capthreaded over the upper end portion of said pipe, a plug threaded intosaid cap with a thread diameter at least about as large as that of thepipe, provided with a flanged top and adapted to be screwed down to aposition with its top substantially flush with the top of said cap, alug projecting substantially radially outward and upward from a side ofsaid cap to above the top thereof, cementitious material surroundingsaid pipe and cap and substantially flush with the top surface of saidcap, a securing member pivotally attached to said lug above the top ofsaid cap and oementitious material but substantially contiguous the topof the cap and plug, and locking means for holding said securing memberin position to prevent removal of the plug, a substantial portion ofsaid lug extending below the top of the cap as a radial rib of depthgreater than that of the top of said plug and cementitious materialcooperating with said rib or lug to prevent rotation of said cap, andsaid lug extending only a short distance above the top of said cap, saidlug or rib being also integral with and contiguous the top of theperipheral portion of the cap.

2. The combination with a pipe leading to a subsurface tank, of a capthreaded over the upper end portion of said pipe, a plug threaded intosaid cap with a thread diameter at least about as large as that ofthepipe, provided with a flanged top and adapted to be screwed down to aposition with its top substantially flush with the top of said cap, alug projecting substantially radially outward and upward from a side ofsaid cap to above the top thereof, cementitious material sinroundingsaid pipe and cap and substantially flush with the top surface of saidcap, a securing member pivotally attached to said lug above the top ofsaid cap and cementitious material but substantially contiguous the topof the cap and plug, locking means for holding said securing member inposition to prevent removal of the plug, a substantial portion of saidlug extending below the top of the cap as a radial rib of depth greaterthan that of the top of said plug and eementitious material cooperatingwith said rib or lug to prevent rotation of said cap and said lugextending only a short distance above the top of said cap, and anotherlug substantially opposite the first and substantially similar thereto,said securing member being recessed to allow the second mentioned lug toextend through it with said second mentioned lug and securing membercooperating with said locking means, each of said lugs being integralwith and contiguous the top of the peripheral portion of the cap.

3. The combination with a pipe leading to a sub-surface tank, of a capthreaded over the upper end portion of said pipe, a plug threaded intosaid cop, with the diameter of the received portion of said plug beingat least about as large as that of the pipe, provided with flanged topand adapted to be screwed down to a position with its top substantiallyflush with the top of said cap, a. lug projecting substantially radiallyoutward and upward from a side of said can to above the top thereof, asubstantial. portion of said lug extending below the top of the cap andconstituting a radial rib of greater depth than that the top of said capand plug, cementitious material surrounding said pipe and cap andsubstantially flush with the top surface of said. cap, a securing memberpivotally attached to said lug above the top of said cap butsubstantially contiguous the top of the cap and plug, locking means forholding said securing means in position to prevent removal of the plug,said lug extending only a short distance above the top of said cap, thetop flange of said plug being laterally spaced, at least in part, fromthe recessed portion of said cap in which it is received, and fluid typepacking under the top flange of the plug and within said cap, wherebysaid cap may always be screwed up to the desired amount flush with thetop of said cap and a tight joint attained between it and the cap tokeep out snow and ice forming therein, said lug or rib being alsointegral with and contiguous the top of the peripheral portion of thecap.

HENRY P. VVILKING.

